Conciseness in OET Writing is not about writing less — it’s about writing exactly the right amount. A letter at 165 words is probably missing required content. A letter at 240 words is probably carrying padding, distractors, or repeated information. The discipline is hitting 180–200 words with everything the reader needs and nothing they don’t.
This post gives you the complete structural template for an OET clinical letter, the most common wordiness traps, and a full worked example built paragraph by paragraph with word count tracking.
Why Conciseness Matters to Your Score
Conciseness & Clarity is scored /7 and affects your overall mark directly. But it also has downstream effects on other criteria:
| Effect | Criterion Impacted |
|---|---|
| Padding pushes word count over 200 | Forces you to cut real content → Content marks lost |
| Wordy sentences obscure clinical meaning | Conciseness & Clarity and Organisation marks lost |
| Vague phrasing replaces clinical precision | Genre & Style marks lost |
| Over-long letter takes longer to write | Less time for review → Language errors missed |
A concise letter is not just more pleasant to read — it creates a positive scoring environment across multiple criteria simultaneously.
The OET Letter Structure Template
Every OET Writing letter — referral, discharge, or transfer — follows the same thematic structure. The paragraph headings below are for your planning only; do not include them in the actual letter.
[Salutation]
Dear Dr. / Mr. / Ms. [Surname],
[Re: line]
Re: [Patient full name], DOB [DD/MM/YYYY]
[Paragraph 1 — Purpose]
State the reason for writing, the recipient's role, and your specific request.
Target: 25–35 words
[Paragraph 2 — Current Status]
The patient's current clinical presentation, most urgent information first.
Target: 40–55 words
[Paragraph 3 — Relevant Background]
Only the history directly relevant to the referral/discharge purpose.
Target: 30–45 words
[Paragraph 4 — Current Management]
What has been done, what is ongoing, investigation results if relevant.
Target: 25–40 words
[Paragraph 5 — Closing Request]
Specific, actionable request. Offer of further information.
Target: 15–25 words
[Sign-off]
Yours sincerely,
[Name], [Credential]
[Facility]
Total target body text: 135–200 words With salutation, Re: line, and sign-off: 180–220 words (sign-off and headers are typically not counted toward word limit)
Word count convention: OET word count guidance refers to the body of the letter — from the first word of the Purpose sentence to the last word of the closing paragraph. Salutation (“Dear Dr. Murphy”), Re: line, and sign-off (“Yours sincerely / [Name]”) are generally not counted. When practising, count your body text to target 180–200 words in that section.
The Wordiness Traps: What to Cut
These are the most common padding phrases that inflate word count without adding clinical value. Every one of these should be replaced or deleted.
Opening padding (most common error)
| ❌ Padding opener | ✅ Direct replacement |
|---|---|
| ”I am writing to inform you that Mrs. Lee has been admitted…" | "I am writing to refer Mrs. Lee…” / Start directly with the clinical fact |
| ”I would like to bring to your attention the case of Mr. Hassan…" | "I am writing to refer Mr. Hassan…" |
| "Please be advised that the patient under your care has…” | Delete — state the clinical situation directly |
| ”I am writing with regard to the above-named patient…" | "I am writing to refer / discharge / update you regarding…" |
| "As per our telephone conversation earlier today…” | Only include if directly relevant; if so, “Following our earlier discussion,…” |
Mid-letter padding
| ❌ Padding phrase | ✅ Direct replacement |
|---|---|
| ”It is important to note that she has a history of…" | "She has a history of…" |
| "As you are aware, the patient is currently on…" | "She is currently on…" |
| "I would also like to mention that…” | Just state the information |
| ”In addition to the above, it should be noted that…” | Start a new sentence with the information |
| ”At this point in time…" | "Currently” or delete |
| ”Due to the fact that…" | "Because" |
| "In the event that…" | "If” |
Closing padding
| ❌ Padding closer | ✅ Concise alternative |
|---|---|
| ”I trust this letter finds you well and I hope we can work together on this case.” | Delete entirely |
| ”I would be most grateful and appreciative if you could possibly find the time to review…" | "I would be grateful for your review." |
| "Please do not hesitate to get in touch with me at any time should you require any further information regarding this patient." | "Please contact me if you require further information.” |
Building a Concise Letter: Paragraph by Paragraph
Here is a complete worked example, built paragraph by paragraph with word counts tracked in real time.
Scenario: You are a nurse in a medical ward. Mr. Thomas Byrne, 71M, was admitted 5 days ago with a community-acquired pneumonia. He has responded well to IV amoxicillin-clavulanate, switched to oral on Day 3. He is now medically fit for discharge. He has a background of COPD (on Seretide 250 inhaler) and Type 2 diabetes (metformin 1g BD). He lives alone. His GP is Dr. Aoife Lynch. Write a discharge letter.
Paragraph 1 — Purpose (target: 25–35 words)
Draft:
I am writing to inform you that Mr. Thomas Byrne has been a patient under our care and is now being discharged from the medical ward following a recent admission for pneumonia.
Word count: 35 words. Problem: “I am writing to inform you that” (7 words of padding). “has been a patient under our care” (8 words to say “was admitted”). Rewrite.
Revised:
I am writing to update you on Mr. Byrne, who is being discharged today following a 5-day admission for community-acquired pneumonia.
Word count: 24 words. Cleaner, direct, same information. ✅
Paragraph 2 — Current Status (target: 40–55 words)
Draft:
Mr. Byrne presented with a 3-day history of productive cough, fever, and dyspnoea. His chest X-ray on admission demonstrated right lower lobe consolidation. He was commenced on IV amoxicillin-clavulanate, which was transitioned to oral on Day 3 following clinical improvement. He is now apyrexial, with oxygen saturation of 97% on room air, and is medically fit for discharge.
Word count: 62 words. Slightly long. The phrase “which was transitioned to oral on Day 3 following clinical improvement” can be shortened.
Revised:
Mr. Byrne presented with a 3-day history of productive cough, fever, and dyspnoea. Chest X-ray confirmed right lower lobe consolidation. He was commenced on IV amoxicillin-clavulanate, transitioned to oral on Day 3. He is now apyrexial with oxygen saturation of 97% on room air.
Word count: 48 words. ✅
Paragraph 3 — Relevant Background (target: 30–45 words)
Draft:
He has a background of COPD, for which he uses a Seretide 250 inhaler, and Type 2 diabetes managed with metformin 1g twice daily. He is a non-smoker and lives alone.
Word count: 33 words. Good — concise, relevant only. ✅
Paragraph 4 — Discharge Plan / Management (target: 25–40 words)
Draft:
He has been discharged on a 5-day course of oral amoxicillin-clavulanate to complete the antibiotic course. A repeat chest X-ray in 6 weeks is recommended to confirm resolution of the consolidation.
Word count: 34 words. Good. ✅
Paragraph 5 — Closing Request (target: 15–25 words)
Draft:
I would be grateful if you could review Mr. Byrne in the coming weeks and monitor his recovery. Please contact me if you require further information.
Word count: 28 words. Slightly long — “in the coming weeks and monitor his recovery” is vague. Sharpen.
Revised:
I would be grateful for a follow-up review within 2 weeks. Please contact me if you require further information.
Word count: 19 words. ✅
Assembled Complete Letter
Dear Dr. Lynch,
Re: Thomas Byrne, DOB 03/11/1953
I am writing to update you on Mr. Byrne, who is being discharged today following a 5-day admission for community-acquired pneumonia.
Mr. Byrne presented with a 3-day history of productive cough, fever, and dyspnoea. Chest X-ray confirmed right lower lobe consolidation. He was commenced on IV amoxicillin-clavulanate, transitioned to oral on Day 3. He is now apyrexial with oxygen saturation of 97% on room air.
He has a background of COPD, for which he uses a Seretide 250 inhaler, and Type 2 diabetes managed with metformin 1g twice daily. He is a non-smoker and lives alone.
He has been discharged on a 5-day course of oral amoxicillin-clavulanate to complete the antibiotic course. A repeat chest X-ray in 6 weeks is recommended to confirm resolution of the consolidation.
I would be grateful for a follow-up review within 2 weeks. Please contact me if you require further information.
Yours sincerely, Sarah O’Reilly, RN St. Vincent’s University Hospital
Body word count: 162 words. This is slightly under target — we could add one clinically relevant item. For example, the social context (“lives alone”) is present but a brief note on functional status at discharge or who will support him at home would be clinically appropriate here and would bring the letter to approximately 180 words.
Expanded closing background:
He has a background of COPD, for which he uses a Seretide 250 inhaler, and Type 2 diabetes managed with metformin 1g twice daily. He is a non-smoker and lives alone; his daughter has been contacted and will assist with his recovery at home.
This adds 17 words and reaches ~179 words — clinically relevant (social context for a patient who lives alone is appropriate in a discharge letter to a GP) and within target. ✅
Conciseness Checklist: Before You Submit
Run through this before finalising any OET practice letter:
- Does the Purpose sentence open directly — no padding preamble?
- Have I removed all “It is important to note that / As you are aware / I would like to mention” constructions?
- Is every sentence adding clinical information the reader needs — or is some of it demonstrating knowledge they already have?
- Have I stated any clinical information twice in different sections?
- Is my closing request specific and under 25 words?
- Is my word count between 180–200 words (body text)?
- Could any sentence be shortened without losing clinical meaning?
Conciseness Is a Skill, Not Just Editing
The most concise OET letters are not the product of heavy editing after writing — they come from candidates who have internalised the thematic structure and know exactly which case note items to include before they start. Planning during the 5-minute reading time prevents over-writing in the first place.
Candidates who practise with criterion-specific feedback on Conciseness & Clarity learn to identify their personal padding patterns — whether it’s opener phrases, background over-explanation, or closing verbosity — and eliminate them systematically across practice letters.
Try a free timed practice letter at /blog/oet-writing-practice-test-free and check your Conciseness score specifically.
Related reading: Best OET Writing Apps Compared & Reviewed 2026
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